Marine disaster signal



Jul 22. 1924. 1,502,055 A. PAPANASTASVIOU MARINE DISASTER SIGNAL Original Filed Sept. 14. 1921 s Sheets-=Sheot 2 :IHHIUIII 47/1/A/YA5/63 Ame/wisps 5/ 00 .hfly 22 19.24. 1,502,055

' A. PAPANASTASIOU MARINE DISASTER SIGNAL Original Filed Sent. 14 1921 3 Shuts-Sheet 3 I anon Q Patented July 22, 1924.

UNHTED STATES LSdZfiES FA EUENT QFFEQEQ,

ATHANASIOS PAPANASTASIOU, OF EAST PITTSBURGH, IEN N SYIz-VANIA.

- MARINE Dis'As'rnR SIGNAL.

Application filed September 14, 1921, Serial N0. 500,526. Renewed June 9, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ATHANASIOS PAPA- NasrAsIoU, a subject of the King of Greece, residing at East Pittsburgh, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Disaster Signals of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a marine disaster signalling device and has for its principal object to provide means whereby the location of a sunken vessel may be signailed to other vessels on the surface of the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide' means whereby communications may be had with persons trapped in the sunken vessels by means of a telephone or .tele graphic apparatus;

Another important'object of the invention is to provide means whereby the'door closing the signalling signal buov may be opened and closed from the exterior of the signal buoy compartment by persons trapped in'the sunken vessel;

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve upon marine disaster signals of this character by providing a de vice which will be of extremely simple, durable and inexpensive construct-ion, vone which is efficient and reliable in operation, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.- V Y A The invention consists generally of a sig nal buoy compartment having a door which may bereadily opened and closed from the exterior of the compartment but within the vessel by persons who may be trapped there in, said signal buoy being buoyant so as to rise to the surface of the water and being provided with signalling means for attracting the attention of vessels which may be near at hand. Said signal buoy is anchored by means of a cable mounted on a drum within the sunken vessel and wires may be within the cable so that telephonic or telegraphic communications may be had by vessels which discover the signal buoy with the trapped persons within the sunken vessel.

With the above and numerous other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel combination and the arrangement of parts as will be hereinaftermore fully explained and particularly claimed hereinafter.

r In the drawings Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing the vessel which is sunken and the signal buoy in a signalling position floating on the top of the water,

Figure 2 is a section through a vessel showing the apparatus therein,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transv versely through the signal buoy compartment looking toward the door thereof,

Figure 4 is a section taken through the signal buoy compartment showing the door operating mechanism in top plan,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal central section taken through the signal buoy, and

Figure 6 is a rear elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that 1 designates a vessel of any preferred construction which is preferably provided with a plurality of compartments suitably separated from each other so that should the vessel become sunken, the water will only pass to that portion of the vessel which has its compartments open. Each of the compartments in the vessel are in communication with each other in any suitable manner so as to be readily reached and entered by persons in the vessel. One of the compartments designated by the numeral 2 is preferably situated adjacent the lower end of the vessel and has suitably mounted therein asignal buoy compartment 3 which in'the present instance is supported on the beams 4 and 5 which extend across the compartment 2. This compartment 3 is provided with an enlarged section 6 which communicates with the exterior of the vessel by means of an opening which is normally closed by the door 7. The operating mechanism for the door 7 is shown to advantage in Figures 3 and 4. This door 7 is hingedly mounted at 8 and has provided thereon with suitable apertures lugs 9 through which pass a pin 10 for holding the bar 11. A link 12 is connected to the bar 11 intermediate its ends and has one end thereof mounted on a lug'13 extending from the door 7 adjacent its free side whereas the r-apertuied ears 9 are located adjacent its hinged side. A threadedvrodl l has its end in swivel engagement with a bar 15 which has its upper end reduced so as to rotatably fit in an aperture at the extremity of the rod 11. A socket 16 is mounted on the exterior of the compartment preferably on'the enlargement 6 thereof for receiving theball l7 which is formed integral with the crank wheel 18. The ball 17 and crank wheel 18 are provided with a central bore which is threaded so as to receive the rod 14 as clearly illustrated in Figure 4. The socket 16 is provided with a slot 18 so as to accommodate the rod 14: as it swings to the dotted line position in Figure 4i which demonstrates how the door will be situated when open. It will be readily understood that by turning upon the crank wheel 18 the door may be easily opened and closed through the intermediacy of the mechanism which includes the bar 11 and threaded rod 14; and their cooperating elements.

The rear end of the compartment 3 is open and a closure 20 is provided therefor. This closure 20 is provided with a central threaded bore for receiving the threaded portion 21 of the shaft 22 which is provided at its inner end with a disk 23 swivelled thereon and at its other end with a crank wheel 24 which is keyed thereto. When it is desired to push the signal buoy 25 from the compartment 3 the operator opens the valve 26 in order that watermay ass through the pipe 27 into the compartment and fill the same whereby the pressure will be equalized on both sides of the door 7. The door 7 is then opened as previously described and the signal buoy may be shoved from its compartment out into the water by turning the crank 24 as will be readily understood. When it is desired to place other signal buoys in the compartment the door 7 and valve 26 may be closed and the closure 20 removed and a signal buoy passed therein. The water contained in the compartment 3 would flon into the compartment 2 and only cover a comparatively small portion of the floor owing to the great difference in size between the two compartments as will be readily understood. A drain pipe is disposed at the bottom of the compartment 2 so that the water may bedrained therefrom into the compartment therebelov if the water should become too deep in compartment 2.

This signal buoy 25 is suitably attached 'to a cable 27 wound upon a drum 28. The cable 27 is provided or constructed so as to receive the electric wires 29 as shown clearly in Figure 5. I

The signal buoy itself is formed of a plurality of compartments the central and forward end of which are filled with some suitable buoyant material if so desired. The rear compartment 30 may have situated therein a telephone so as to be connected to the wire 29 or a telegraphic instrument for the same purpose so that communication may be had with persons in the sunken ship. The compartment 30 is open at its rear end having a screw threaded closure 31 so that easy access may be had thereto. A seat 32 is formed so as to extend in the compartment 3 whereby alight 33 preferably an electric bulb lit by a storage bat t-ery may be carried therein. As is seen in Figure 5 the wire 29 extends into the central compartment of the signal buoy 25 through an L-pipe 8 into the compartment 30 so that its end may be held ready so that a suitable instrument may be quickly attached thereto.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the signalling apparatus will be readily under stood without a more extended explanation. While the preferred embodiments of my invention have been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in form, mate rials, proportions, and arrangements of parts, and in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or c estroying any of the advantages contained in the same, heretofore described and defined and hereafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is In combination, a boat having a signal buoy, a compartment in the boat leading to the exterior thereof for holding the signal buoy, a door on the exterior of said cornpartment, and a second door on the interior of said compartment, a socket disposed on the exterior of the compartment and provided with a slot, said compartment pro vided with a slot registering with the socket, a ball situated in the socket and formed integral with a crank wheel. having a threaded bore extending therethrough, a threaded rod engaged with said threaded bore and with the first mentioned door, means for opening and closing the second door from the interior of the boat, and means for pushing said signal buoy from the compartment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ATHANASIOS PAPANASTASTOU.

Witnesses:

CHAs. E. SHMITT, POTERIOS NICHOLSON. 

